Ultras, arms dominate militancy scene in J&K — Advani

Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Advani said, was using mercenaries for dominating the militancy-scenario and continuing a strangle hold over insurgent groups in Kashmir to ensure “communal divide, ethnic cleansing and to extend an arc of militancy to Jammu and beyond.”

Calling for sustained vigilance in the face of “overallimprovement in situation in the frontier state, the Home minister said “We should remember Kashmir valley remains the prime target of Pakistan’s subversive designs and its ISI establishment continues to serve as the prime vehicle for instigating, training and supporting the militant movement in the state.”

Advani confessed the authorities were deeply concerned over the vulnerability of Hindus, in the upper reaches of Jammu, as the mercenaries task was to deepen the communal chasm in the region.

Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and Finance Minister Mohammed Shafi, besides Chief Secretary Ashok Jaitley and Police Director General Gurbachan Jagat were present in the meeting.

The Home minister, however, said the key to keeping the “disillusionment of Kashmiris with militancy” alive was important and for this the “benefit of good governance and accelerated development should reach common people of the state.”

Advani also advised all the participant states — Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu andKashmir, Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh (Union territory) and Rajasthan — to strengthen their field intelligence machineries at the grassroot levels to avert militancy-like situations. The Home ministry has mooted a proposal to all the states for raising a two-tier intelligence structure at the district level. The proposal envisages a deputy superintendent of police rank official heading a special intelligence group at each district headquarter which will gather information from village headmen and other village level workers.